Species

Chapter 1

"Remedy, wake up!”

Remedy woke suddenly to the sound of her brother's panicked voice. She bolted up in bed to find Tyran shaking her, his green eyes wide with fear as fire blazed around them.

“What's going on?” Her sleepy eleven-year-old voice asked in confusion, squeaking in fright when Tyran decided she was taking too long to wake up and lifted her out of the bed.

Within a few seconds, they were outside, standing behind elders as they watched their father being controlled by two Blue URPA and shoved down roughly to his knees.

“Demero Vamonite Fanara, you are under arrest for the unlawful breeding of the Renay and Fanara clans. Do not resist arrest or you will be killed under Clause 5c of the Clan Code.”

The harsh but droning voice of the Red Urita behind him cut through the struggling sounds of their father's resistance as he fought back against their iron grip.

“The Clan Code is s**t! I’ll never comply!”

The Urita that had spoken still had a dull blank look on their face as they lifted their plasma gun and pressed it against the back of Demero's head.

“Demero Vamonite Fanara. Under Clause 5c of the Clan Code, I am relieving the United Clans of your corrupted soul. You are not entitled to last words - please wait quietly for your life to be terminated.”

The sound of the shot rang through the Clans members ears and Remedy tried to run forward, only to be held back in her brother’s grip.

“Don't. They'll kill you too.” His voice whispered to her, pulling back into the crowd.

Demero’s body dropped to the ground, the gunshot that went through his head making red blood pool around his body and seep into the cracks in the dry ground.

The grey matter of his brain was vivid against the colour of the liquid and it made Remedy's stomach lurch, bile creeping up her throat and scratching it roughly. Her legs felt weak underneath her as they got past the gathered colony and her brother pulled her through the forest that they lived in.

Judging by the path they were taking, he was leading her to where she usually hid if she wasn't feeling good or if there was an argument within the colony. Her hiding place - she didn’t remember telling him about that.

“How do you-”

“Rem, you aren't subtle. I followed you one day and saw you go to your den.” Tyran smiled down at her weakly.

The blonde didn’t smile back nor did she say anything. She just leaned her head against her brother’s chest as he picked her up in his arms, watching the barren landscape as they walked to her hideout. Tyran didn’t speak either.

Later, they sat silently beside each other in the den. Neither was sure of what to say.

Remedy was replaying the moment in her mind.

The gun… Blood running… Eyes like glass in the dull sunlight of a rebel meeting.

Tyran could only watch her sorrowfully as she got lost in her thoughts.

***

In 2135, the Interplanetary Agency of Venus, Earth and Mars agreed to release a chemical across Earth to fix the adverse effects of climate change that had spread rapidly since the Industrial Century. The intention was to stop the extreme incidents that were happening on a monthly basis. Tsunamis as high as the clouds were swamping land masses and killing whole societies, earthquakes were splitting continental countries into pieces the size of the old Scottish State. Volcano eruptions were more frequent, tornadoes swept more land, the Olivian Islands were underwater. The IAVEM knew it was time to intervene.

The chemical compound had been tested once before on the small scale. A dead island in the Pacific. It wasn’t supposed to be harmful to humans, or any species. The composition was designed to return atmospheric conditions to their previously safe state, but when it was released in Euphoria - the worst affected country by the disastrous climate - the whole situation quickly went dark.

By the second day of release, half of Euphoria’s population was dead. Symptoms of blood vomiting and sudden onset cell deterioration were reported on planet-wide news. The entire country was wiped from existence within two months.

Panic ensued throughout the world as the chemical was starting to carry across the Atlantic in the atmosphere, but there was nowhere to go. Venus and Mars didn’t have suitable atmospheres for the human race to survive, and the rest of the Solar System was either hostile or empty.

Until a transmission came in.

The planet with no solid surface and an atmosphere like the depths of hell. So many probes had been sent to map it, ships sent to look for signs of life - all of them producing nothing. It had been established as one of the four dead planets of the Solar System, no life found or indicated.

So when they contacted the human planet so suddenly, the remaining nations of Earth and their neighbouring planets were shocked. Within a few days, a monstrous blue vessel was seen in the orbit of the planet, an alien symbol on the side. Beings with deep red skin and golden markings across their body emerged from the ship. They began transporting countries of people by bridges that appeared as if they were alive, swirling metal forming pathways into the vessel.

In the following days as they travelled from Earth to a new home, people mourned their families that had been lost before the ship could arrive. The chemical spread from the Atlantic and across a portion of the islands that were closest, killing more citizens before the human race could escape, and it couldn’t be stopped.

The IAVEM worked with the redskins to establish what would happen on arrival to their planet, and the public were reassured that they would be safe.

It was strange, to be taken to safety so quickly, but now the secret was exposed.

Saturn was alive.